Venison Burger...what do you do with it?

[Drenalin]

Most everything already suggested - meatloaf, meatballs, chili, tacos, and hamburgers.

For meatballs, I mix 1/3 ground Italian sausage with 2/3 ground venison. For hamburgers, I use the same ratio but with fatty (85/15) ground beef.

I'm not insinuating you don't know how to cut one up, but if you're leaving any fat or connective tissue, those are going to be "off" flavors. Venison also just has kind of an iron-like taste; you can cut that with a little bit of sugar, just like you would with tomato sauce.

 

[Acharenio]

What does gamey mean? Wild? I hear people all the time say it’s gamey because you don’t take care of it right. I don’t care how well it’s taken care of, deer tastes like deer, not beef. Some more than others. I’ve had mule deer that smelled like a skunk, taken care of perfectly. Dog wouldn’t even eat it until he buried it and it rotted for awhile, we sure as Hell couldn’t. Our Sitka blacktail are as mild a deer as there is, but they still taste like deer, rutting bucks more so.

As far as cutting the deer flavor, we find acidic recipes are the best.

agree completely, deer taste like deer, lamb is a little gamey also but it taste like lamb, i make bolognese and lasagna with it, also make stuffing for ravioli and eat it with butter and sage and parmesan, make stews with the shoulder and leg meat, carpaccio with back straps, grilled the filet, don't mind the gamey taste, if i don't want the gamey taste i buy a steak.

 

[big217boy]

When I process my Deer, I add some cubed beef brisket and grind it all together. From there, i leave a portion plain for meatballs, tacos, etc. I use a portion for snack sticks or bologna. For Hamburgers, I like to use Patty Seasoning from Conyeager Spice company (I'm sure other companies make a similar product, but this is what's local to me). https://www.conyeagerspice.com/burger-and-patty-seasonings/ We like Philly Steak, Chilly Cheese, Sweet Bourbon, BBQ, and my Kid's Favorite Steak Patty. I add the seasoning and then stuff it in 2lb Ground Meat Bags and right into the freezer.

Since your ground meat is already frozen, you could thaw out a few lbs and mix in the burger/patty seasoning.

 

[MuleyFever]

Have you tried making jerky with it? I have never tried it with ground meat but they make those guns to form it into strips.

 

[Wheels]

We use it for jerky, wife and son don’t like venison burger but love the jerky. Pump it thru a jerky gun and dehydrate for 7 hours using Nesco seasonings.

 

[chizelhead]

I wonder if meat prep and if you get your specific ground meat back is a contributing issue. I try and remove all the fat and as much silverskin as possible before grinding. Also, I drive an hour to a specific butcher because they grind my meat separate and don't mix it with other's. That may not matter, but I like to think so. Lastly, do you remove the big lymph gland(s) in the hind quarter? If not, and it gets ground in, it may contribute to the gaminess.

 

[180ls1]

The grind meat is the only thing that I don't care for.
I have had it proccesed by a butcher in the past and its not any different. I have been cutting my own up for years. Not like I don't know how to break one down.
The grind meat is the only thing I never cared for. It just always seems to have an aftertaste I didn't care for.
I have mixed it with Beef fat, Pork fat and always just tried it as a normal Burger and just didn't care for it as much as the rest of the deer. And we eat a pile of deer. That's why I have so much burger in the freezer. It just never gets used.

Make sure you char/burn it a little. Also make sure its not cooking in its own juices (myogloben?). Dry up the blood looking stuff when cooking.

Those two things will help a ton. Trust me.

 

[LCguy]

Have you tried making jerky with it? I have never tried it with ground meat but they make those guns to form it into strips.

We don't eat a ton of grind in my house so this is what I usually do with it. Comes out great!

Also a lot of great Mediterranean and middle eastern recipes that call for ground meat that would be great. Kefta kebabs and Greek style meatballs are two of our favorites.